This Part of my Letter I was sure, if _Dogget_'s Eyes were still open, would be shewn to him; if not, I had only writ it to no Purpose. But about a Month after, when I came to Town, I had some little Reason to imagine it had the Effect I wish'd from it: For one Day, sitting over-against him at the same Coffee-house where we often mixt at the same Table, tho' we never exchanged a single Syllable, he graciously extended his Hand for a Pinch of my Snuff: As this seem'd from him a sort of breaking the Ice of his Temper, I took Courage upon it to break Silence on my Side, and ask'd him how he lik'd it? To which, with a slow Hesitation naturally assisted by the Action of his taking the Snuff, he reply'd--_Umh! the best--Umh!--I have tasted a great while!_--If the Reader, who may possibly think all this extremely trifling, will consider that Trifles sometimes shew Characters in as strong a Light as Facts of more serious Importance, I am in hopes he may allow that my Matter less needs an Excuse than the Excuse itself does; if not, I must stand condemn'd at the end of my Story.----But let me go on.
After a few Days of these coy, Lady-like Compliances on his Side, we grew into a more conversable Temper: At last I took a proper Occasion, and desired he would be so frank with me as to let me know what was his real Dislike, or Motive, that made him throw up so good an Income as his Share with us annually brought him in? For though by our Admission of _Booth_, it might not probably amount to so much by a Hundred or two a Year as formerly, yet the Remainder was too considerable to be quarrel'd with, and was likely to continue more than the best Actors before us had ever got by the Stage. And farther, to encourage him to be open, I told him, If I had done any thing that had particularly disobliged him, I was ready, if he could put me in the way, to make him any Amends in my Power; if not, I desired he would be so just to himself as to let me know the real Truth without Reserve: But Reserve he could not, from his natural Temper, easily shake off. All he said came from him by half Sentences and _Inuendos_, as--No, he had not taken any thing particularly ill--for his Part, he was very easy as he was; but where others were to dispose of his Property as they pleas'd--if you had stood it out as I did, _Booth_ might have paid a better Price for it.--You were too much afraid of the Court--but that's all over.--There were other things in the Play-house.--No Man of Spirit.--In short, to be always pester'd and provok'd by a trifling Wasp--a--vain--shallow!--A Man would sooner beg his Bread than bear it--(Here it was easy to understand him: I therefore ask'd him what he had to bear that I had not my Share of?) No! it was not the same thing, he said.--You can play with a Bear, or let him alone and do what he would, but I could not let him lay his Paws upon me without being hurt; you did not feel him as I did.--And for a Man to be cutting of Throats upon every Trifle at my time of Day!--If I had been as covetous as he thought me, may be I might have born it as well as you--but I would not be a Lord of the Treasury if such a Temper as _Wilks_'s were to be at the Head of it.--